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Complaints about bass gear weight

#44
themacinator said:
I may be naive but I'm not that naive. Anyhow show me a premier bassist who gets is tone and sound from one of these neo/mirco rigs and I'll go quietly into the TB night.
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Aguilar's website and his Twitter feed lead me to believe Damian Erskine is using the new neo Aguilar cabs
Chris Tarry is pretty often using a Little Mark and Traveller 1x12
Most of the best local jazz guys around here are using Little Marks or Shuttles, actually
 
#45
themacinator said:
There are people posting that they'd rather bring their small or even micro amp and a 210 on stage and DI out to the PA to get their bass sound. I don't trust most sound guys to get my tone out of the PA.

I want them to mic my cab so I get the tone from the amp AND the cab. That being said I'm still waiting to see the show, small local band or biggest of touring bands, where their bassist hops up on stage, plugs into a 210 and blows me away with tone and "more sound"

It never happens. And if everybody is saying that neo and micro is better why don't we see Geddy Lee or P-nut or John Paul Jones bustin' out a neo and a micro.

It's because they simply cannot provide what a big amp and cab can.

And to each there own BTW, for me I want to sound, look, and feel the way a big cab and amp do for me.
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My neo rig is 412's and is plenty loud. I always go direct through my amp and it sounds great. Since when didn't a sound man control anyone's tone to a degree? They EQ the band and control all the levels. If you wanna be heard at a huge venue you NEED PA support with sound man. All the pros do it too.

Neo magnets don't have a different tone than ceramics. It's been debated on this site forever and it simply isn't true.

John Paul Jones and Geddy Lee have roadies. They don't haul their own gear.

There are PLENTY of professional bass players that use Neo cabs. Where do I start? Click away and read.
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#48
I'm 54, have a good back, a 2-wheel dolly and a pickup truck. Those who know me know I'm incredibly anal about tone, and it is first and foremost. Weight and bulk have never been priorities. Still isn't personally, but since I got involved with, and started building fEARfuls, I have begun to start listening to the lightweight crowd... Talked to a fellow a couple weeks back at a swapmeet.. Complaining his 2x10 was 40 pounds, and wanted lighter.. I'm offering okoume as a plywood option.. VERY pricey wood, but its a 25% weight reduction.. a 12/6 at 30 pounds? Maybe possible.. Will be building one as a hands-on demo.. the 1212/6 I built for myself is to me featherweight...lol...
 
#49
The PA gear weighs much, much more than my rig at it's largest, and we all still have to haul the PA gear, so a 30lb head in a rack and a 95lb 4X10 is my normal gig rig.
I add a 2X10 cab (60lbs) when the drummer wants a cab next to him.
That's why I bought a collapsible dolly.
 
#53
themacinator said:
There are people posting that they'd rather bring their small or even micro amp and a 210 on stage and DI out to the PA to get their bass sound. I don't trust most sound guys to get my tone out of the PA.

I want them to mic my cab so I get the tone from the amp AND the cab. That being said I'm still waiting to see the show, small local band or biggest of touring bands, where their bassist hops up on stage, plugs into a 210 and blows me away with tone and "more sound"

It never happens. And if everybody is saying that neo and micro is better why don't we see Geddy Lee or P-nut or John Paul Jones bustin' out a neo and a micro.

It's because they simply cannot provide what a big amp and cab can.

And to each there own BTW, for me I want to sound, look, and feel the way a big cab and amp do for me.
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I'm getting flashbacks to that "thick necks have better tone" guy from the Basses forum a few weeks ago...
 
#56
I put my old Sunn 2-15 scoop cab on a Greyhound to San Francisco. I had to take the drivers out to get it under 100lb. The drivers were another 40 lbs. It wouldn't do half of what my fEarful 15/6/1 will do at less than half the weight. 60lb.

Same with the 70lb Sound City Bass 150, the 20 lb GK blows it away with nary a hiccup in five years.

My 12/6 cube handles most any indoor gig at just under 40lb for the cab.

I'm eyeing the TC 750 head.

I've been slow to jump on the band wagon, but moving from over 200 lbs of rig that needs a van or truck to move, to a 50 lb rig that fits in the trunk of a Corolla, and can move in and out in one trip, has been great.

Plus, nobody was jumping up to help me pack all that heavy crap.

I played a gig a few weeks ago were I had my bass in the FOH PA, front monitors and in a killer little Mackie powered monitor/sub back with me and the drummer. I didn't realize for a couple of songs that my amp was muted, and I could hear everything really well.... Maybe all I really need to carry is the DI.
 
#57
agreatheight said:
I can see your point on this, but I do think all the whining about weight is comical. In this modern age with all our modern conveninces thanks to engineering, we all drive cars to jobs where a lot of us sit at desks all day and jockey a mouse - we get far too little exercise. If this keeps up, at some point won't we all just be atrophied & and muscle-less? I am happy to lift some heavy gear on occasion. Hell, I pay money to lift weights at the gym - I usually get paid for gigs!

Just saying.
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This is a great point. Between rehearsals and gigs with several projects, I'm pretty much schlepping gear every night. Its great exercise and the weight doesn't bother me. Schelpping in the rain and snow.....now *that* bothers me.
 
#59
"we're talking about playing an instrument that was originally designed to be a lightweight substitute for the real thing" was, I believe, secondary, the primary reason simply to be able to be HEARD in bigger bands and with elec guitars competing.
 
#60
jad said:
My band mates are always willing to help load and unload my 215 at the venue or practice facility. However, they are not willing to come to my house to help me unload it or help me drag it in or out of the basement. Yeah, having help makes me feel like a member of a group, too. But negotiating my basement steps just makes me feel tired. Having said that, as a bass player I expect to have to do more work than certain other musicians.
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Perhaps...putting it in the basement is not a good idea??;)
 

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